Perata Leads In Oakland Mayor’s Race

OAKLAND (CBS 5 / AP) — Oakland voters have chosen a new mayor, but the results may not be known for at least a couple of days.

That’s because for the first time the city is using ranked-choice voting which allows voters to pick their first, second and third choice candidates.

Returns late Tuesday showed former State Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata ahead of city councilmembers Jean Quan and Rebecca Kaplan and professor/former CBS 5 political analyst Joe Tuman in a crowded 10-candidate field.

They are seeking to replace outgoing mayor Ron Dellums who chose not to run for reelection. Dellums was declared mayor in 2006 after more than a week of counting votes.

The new mayor will have to tackle a withering city budget, a violent crime rate that’s showing some signs of decline, attracting new businesses and boosting citizen morale.